A World of Shapes

Here is a playful way you can introduce the world of shapes to your baby.

Do What I Do

Infants enjoy looking at faces. Use your facial expressions to help your baby begin to notice changes in the things he sees.

Flashlight Fun!

This simple game will help your little one focus on a shape with his eyes.

Follow My Lead!

Here’s how to have fun with face-to-face social routines when your baby shows interest in herself or you!

Let's Look Together

An activity that introduces basic shapes and images to help set the stage for letter learning and pre-reading skills.

Look!

Within the first few months, your baby will develop the ability to focus on an object and track the motion of the object from left to right.

My Name Is Special

One of the first words your baby will understand is her name. This fun activity allows babies to hear and see their name spelled out.

Never Too Young for Books!

It’s a good idea to start exposing your baby to books now.

Photograph Fun

Foster language and literacy development by calling attention to pictures and the printed word during everyday activities.

Read and Touch

Here’s how to read to your baby and encourage learning through touch.

Ribbon Grasp

This activity will help your baby learn to grasp objects — a skill needed to hold a pencil later on.

Sing, Sing, Sing. Talk, Talk, Talk.

Babies love the sound of their mother’s voice. It is soothing and comforting and is their favorite sound.

Your Beautiful Eyes

You can help your baby develop by establishing and maintaining eye contact with her during pleasurable activities.

Face-to-Face Time!

From birth to about age 5 months, infants are especially interested in looking at your face.

Floor Time, Explore Time

Provide many safe opportunities for movement and exploration.

Getting to Know You

Increase blossoming communication development by adapting your behaviors to the “rhythm” of your infant’s needs.

Keep It Real

React to the sounds your child is making — make them back and create a back-and-forth conversation between you and your child.

My Baby Just Smiled at Me!

When you interact face-to-face with your baby, you show just how important your baby is to you.

My Baby’s First Conversations!

As you react to the sounds your infant makes, you will have your first “conversations” with your little one.

My Tiny Hand

This activity invites you to sing favorite family songs and lullabies to share your cultural traditions and foster language skills.

Soothing Singing

Humming and singing to your baby soothes him and gives you some happy bonding time.

Splish Splash Baby

Creative play with water and words will stimulate your baby’s language and cognitive development.

What Am I Doing?

Stimulate your baby’s oral language abilities by just talking to her … about anything!

Word Awareness

Help your baby learn descriptive words with this fun activity!

Baby Sound Play

Babies this age begin to understand spoken words before they actually utter their first true word.

Baby Talk

As soon as your baby begins to "coo," you can respond to these early attempts at communication by "cooing" right back.

Barnyard Friends

Help your baby develop his listening skills and awareness of language by introducing him to verbal sounds and words.

Easy Listening

Help your baby learn to focus on sounds to pave the way for later accomplishments in phonological awareness.

Infant Talk

Infant-directed speech includes talking to your baby in a higher pitch, slower rate and exaggerated intonation.

Look at You!

Use a mirror to provide a fun time for your baby to see himself.

Magical Sounds of Language

Before infants are ready to say their first word, they listen very carefully to the speech sounds spoken to them.

My Turn, Your Turn!

Practice for future conversations with your child by taking turns interacting and “talking” together.

Syllables and Songs

Songs are a perfect way to introduce babies to syllables, because in music each syllable gets one note (beat).

Who Needs? You Need!

When talking to your baby, it’s important to exaggerate words, slow down your speech and elevate the pitch of the words you use.